Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Naruto-verse. Not the characters, nor the world, nor the concepts present within it. Shonen Jump and the Naruto-verse's creator, Masashi Kishimoto, own all rights to Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. I am making no profit off of this story, I simply wish to immerse myself and everyone reading within the amazing universe that Kishimoto has created.
A/N: I just want to apologize once again to anyone who was irritated by my decision to restart Inheritance, and answer that irritation in a way that I think most suitable. Several years ago, I was pretty damn peeved when Da-Awesom-One decided to almost entirely rewrite his story Devil Fantasy XIII: Wishes Are Eternal, only where I am restarting from chapter 3, he restarted from chapter 33. Quite possibly chapter 34. And now, with seven chapters up, one only mildly revised and six entirely rewritten from scratch, I can grudgingly admit to myself that he made the correct decision. This new incarnation of Devil Fantasy XIII is even more well-written than it already was, it's much better paced, and the suspense of knowing that the thirteenth day is coming is being built up agonizingly slowly. Which is perfect. Suffice to say, I hope to accomplish the same with Inheritance. More-well-written (and I'm not talking about grammar, because I'm something of a grammar nazi already), better pacing, and a better immersion into the Naruto-verse and into the conflicting thoughts and emotions of Asahi Shimura. Again, I apologize for the long wait, a problem which I intend to fix permanently soon, and I hope I can prove to you all that the decision to rewrite this story was a good one. And as always, constructive criticism meant to help improve in areas that I am lacking, and thus increase your enjoyment of my work, is welcome. Hating for the sake of being an asshole is not welcome.
Thanks to 7019289, Ainilly, Arch Fear, Ayganym, BioPizza98, Blades of Fury, BloodyLoved, BrotherCaptainSheperd, Chaos- The Omnipotent God, Completely Confunded, Cyanococcus, DKMaria, Darkjaden, Dkthespaniard, Ebony sword, Elder Dragon 93, Eyode, Finding Glory Under Shadows, Flaming Kiwi, Forever Love The Dark, HeartlessNobody13, Ivise, Kat10305, Kataaowo, KayEmWhy, Kejmur, Knaruto, Kygomars567, Lady Slytherin-Nia, Llyrica, LockHerDoor, LoveroftheKiller, Lucie4512, Madam3Mayh3m, MadameGuillotineTheSeraph, Mango eater 24, Maria B Estrada670, MawVax, Mercimek, Mirthful-Malady, MorteSangriz, My FPS Aim Sucks (don't worry, so does mine), Mytheos, N8iV, NaughtyLoki, PEINUZUMAKI312, PerceptionOftheUnique, QdoSMP, Reina Cleroux, Sazaleli, SpiedCookie126, Sue01, Thatpotatoguywhohas9000lives, TheAmazingCoffeeCat, TheForgottenMyth, TiffBaby101, Trougue, Warlord of Chaos, Willowtuft, Yatocat19, alyzzaalindogan, chippermovie, cv snowblind, darkoutlaw9, fanfiction2010, fireman12468, kitcat93, kittywheaty, lostfeather1, menalith, mishuu, moonligh, rachnis, randomy, rstbm, serentiy000, setsunaxx, slasher3321, spagtag, the allreader, waterfall66631, zdono, and john-tilman for following Inheritance of Fire.
Thanks to 7019289, Ainilly, Arch Fear, BioPizza98, BrotherCaptainSheperd, Cyanococcus, DarkDust27, Darkjaden, DiCuoreAllison, Dkthespaniard, Eyode, GeminiZwei, Kataaowo, Kejmur, Kygomars567, Lucie4512, Mango eater 24, MawVax, Mercimek, Mirthful-Malady, MythicShadows, NatNicole, NaughtyLoki, Shashabux, Silmr3, SpiedCookie126, Thatpotatoguywhohas9000lives, Tick Tock Follow the Clock, Warlord of Chaos, aback, alyzzaalindogan, creven16, cv snowblind, darkoutlaw9, doggy bye, fireman12468, kittywheaty, lostfeather1, natanije, oLR, rachnis, silly60, sketchtheunicorn, slasher3321, sun131, and waterfall66631 for favoriting Inheritance of Fire.
MadameGuillotineTheSeraph: Thanks again for answering the questions from the Intro.
shaz, silkenedscarlet, and IS BITCH BACK: Still not and never will be ferradin. For which I'm glad, if some of the thing's I've heard about him are correct.
MadameGuillotineTheSeraph: You're welcome again for including the Rinha and Chinoike Clans, and don't worry. Harigae and Itsuki are definitely still going to be a huge part of the story, but in a different way, not to mention a little bit different themselves. Also, I'm still glad I'm not the only one that stalks the wiki.
rachnis and shaz: Thanks a ton for the compliments, and I hope to ensure that neither the plot nor the character development, either mentally or in terms of ability, disappoints you.
Cinder Hahn: Thanks, I hope you find the revised edition just as interesting as the original, and I apologize for not replying to your review the first time around. I was using my email to keep track of reviews, only I never got an email about yours.
Warlord of Chaos: Thanks for answering the questions from the Intro. That makes two people to have done so thus far.
Willowtuft: Thank you for the compliment, and I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for the next chapter so long.
sketchtheunicorn: Good guess, but it may be something just a wee bit different than what I think you have in mind.
Mari (Smosh fan?/sorry if that offends): Thanks. I hope to make it even more excellent.
Guest: I sincerely apologize for keeping you and everyone else waiting for so long.
And to anyone that would prefer a PM as opposed to a direct call out in response to following, favoriting, or reviewing, feel free to PM me and let me know.
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"I'd love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mortality, laughed in the face of death, et cetera.
The truth? My only thought was: Aaaaggghhhhh!" - Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief
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First Steps Arc: Chapter 1
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Well hey there you guys. Everybody alright? Comfy? Full stomach? Empty bladder?
What's that?
...
I'm not late. You're late. Yes huh! I've been looking everywhere for you guys.
I was supposed to meet you here? Who in Kami's name told you that nonsense?
Really now. Well, why would you listen to him?
So, who cares?
You care? What for? It's not like you're the ones who have spent the last three hours waiting around for someone to show up. I'm the one whose been waiting on all of you.
Well, if you're really not going to let this silly little notion that I'm the one whose late go, then I suppose there isn't much I can do to dissuade you.
But if you must blame someone for my punctuality-
Fine. Your lack of punctuality, then you should really be blaming the Sixth.
...
I'm sorry, but did you really just ask me 'The sixth what?'
You guys really don't make a good first impression, you know that?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's get to it.
...
Oh, by Kami, you guys are already turning out to be hopeless. Introduce yourselves. That's what people meeting new people generally do in polite society, so hop to it.
An example?
Oh sweet Kami, take me now.
Fine. I guess I'll start us off. But you should all know something in advance.
You're going to regret letting me go first. Or at all, come to think of it.
So let's see. Where shall I begin...?
*snap*
Ah, that's a magnificent idea. I'll start from the beginning. When I died.
Gut-wrenching terror! Horrible pain! Metal crumpling, limbs twisting, bones breaking, blood leaking! Deafened by sound, deafened by something! No more pain.
Blinded by light then blinded by darkness. Can't smell, can't taste, can't move, can't feel. Can't hear-
No, can hear something. Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub. Rhythmic. Sometimes slower, sometimes faster, usually normal. Constant. And always rhythmic.
Where am I? What's going on?
Can think it but can't say it.
Can't move my mouth. No sound comes out either way.
Everything's dark, dark, dark. No sight, nothing to see, can't see even if there was.
Don't feel anything. Except...
Floating. I'm floating. People can't float. Not unless they're in water. But it doesn't feel like I am. Unless I'm completely submerged?
Where the HELL am I?!
Fear-
No, terror. Panic. That's it. Panic. Panic. Panic. Panic. Panic. Panic. Panic.
Two questions. Repeated again and again and again and again.
WHERE THE HELL AM I?! WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON?!
No answers. Don't know, can't know, won't know. Not until someone answers will I know the answers.
No one else to answer.
Alone. Alone in the dark. Alone in the silence.
AlonealonealoneAloneAloneALoneALoneALOneALOneALONeALONeALONEALONE-
No. Darkness yes. Silence? No. Not silence. Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub.
Panic receding. The rhythm's calming. The beat, beat, beat.
Wait. Beat? Rhythmic beat. Too perfect to be manmade. Too in sync. The rhythm is always there, no matter the tempo. A natural beat. Natural beat?
Natural beats don't exist. None with perfect rhythm anyway. Wait.
No, that's wrong. There's one. Heartbeat.
Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub.
That's what it is. A heartbeat. But all around me? Can't be mine. Mine doesn't cause vibrations.
Yes, can feel something. Vibrations. Same rhythm as the beat. Timing, just a little off. Little behind.
Wait, vibrations? Vibrations travel through water, visibly, sometimes you can feel them if they're strong enough. And I am floating.
But it doesn't feel like I'm floating in water. Air?
No, air doesn't vibrate. At least not that we can feel. Right? And besides. People don't float in air. Unless they're falling.
FALLING?!
Panic again. Panic. Panic. Panic. Panic. Panic. Panic.
No, no, no, no. Listen to the heartbeat. Calm down.
Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub.
Not falling. I know what falling feels like. And falling isn't the same as floating. This is floating, what I'm doing right now.
Feels like it anyway. But then I'm not in the air. Have to be in water, that's the only thing people can float in. The only safe thing people can float in.
Doesn't feel like water though. Feels different. Feels almost sluggish, kind of heavy. Water doesn't. It's no trouble moving through water, not that I'm moving.
But water doesn't feel heavy. At least not when you're in it.
Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub.
Wait. Dark? Can't move, or smell, or talk? Heartbeat? Floating? Kind of like water, but not really? And-
Wait, what's that taste? I can taste, but how? I can't move my mouth, and I haven't eaten anything recently enough to taste it. At least, not that I remember-
Remember? What do I remember? I remember the dark. The floating. The beat and it's rhythm. But all that's right now. Before that?
Blinded by light.
Before that?
Still blinded. Still by light. But there's something else around this light. Dark? Dark around light? No, dark around two lights. Set a little ways apart?
THAT'S IT!
Two lights set a little ways apart. And dark around the lights.
Headlights at night!
I was going to work the graveyard shift at work, and then-
...
But then...
Gut-wrenching terror. Horrible pain. Metal crumpling, limbs twisting, bones breaking, blood leaking. Deafened by sound, deafened by something. No more pain.
Blinded by light then blinded by darkness.
It came around the bend too fast. Idiots. Should always have a designated driver. But then...
What happened after that? To me? Did I...?
...
No, no, no. Couldn't be. Can't be. No way that I...
A coma. I'm sure that's all it is. I'm in a coma. And I must be dreaming the heartbeat, the floating, the vibrations. Yeah.
That has to be it. I'll wake up any minute now. I'll be back to my life in no time.
A long time. Still dark. Still with the beat and its rhythm. The vibrations and their rhythm. The floating.
It has to be a coma. Can't be anything else. I couldn't have-
NO, DON'T EVEN THINK THAT THOUGHT! OF COURSE YOU DIDN'T...
...
But this isn't what it's supposed to be like, right? If I were in a coma, wouldn't I still be aware of what was going on around me? I mean, I wouldn't be able to interact, but wouldn't I still be aware?
So this, this can't be a coma, right? It has to be the other thing-
NO! A COMA, I'M IN A COMA!
Panic. Panic! Panic! Panic! Panic! PANIC!
Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub.
That's right just...
Just listen to the heartbeat. Calm down.
You'll wake up in no time.
Longer still. Dark. The beat and it's rhythm. The vibrations and theirs. The floating. Not a single change.
A coma. It has to be. It has to be. Has to be. Has to be. Has to be. Has to-
Unfathomably long. No real sense of time, and thus, unfathomably long. Still dark. Still beating. Still vibrating. Still-
Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub.
That's it. It can't be a coma. No way, not this long. Coma's aren't supposed to be like this. You're supposed to wake up. And it's supposed to only feel like it's been a second, no matter how long it's really been. Supposed to feel like a second. But it doesn't. It feels like an eternity. Can't be a coma.
...
I'm dead, aren't I?
Killed in the crash. The headlights. At night. A car crash. I died in a car crash.
...
How fucking cliché is that?
I mean, it's not like I ever thought I was going to die in some kind of crazy, heroic way, but still. I thought I was going to grow old. Die peacefully. In my sleep maybe.
I thought I was going to be able to just...
Fade away. No regrets.
Just fade away, let myself finally go gentle into that good night. Once I just couldn't hold on any longer.
I never thought I'd be the stereotypical twenty-some year old, flattened by the metaphorical bus.
...
And I hadn't even gotten my first book published yet.
So damn cliché.
Light. Blinded by bright light again.
Light fading quickly, but everything's a blur. Blind still. But now there are voices. Voices all around.
What's going on? Am I... alive?
Was it a coma after all?
There were a bunch of blurry shapes moving around above me, talking in...
I didn't know what, but it certainly wasn't English. Not that that was really my biggest concern at that exact moment. I reached upwards towards one of the blurs. That is to say, I 'told' my arm to move. Nothing happened. I was trying, so my brain had to be sending the signals, but my arm didn't seem to want to follow orders.
Oh God.
Acting on the terrifying thought that had just made itself known, I attempted to move my other arm. Nothing happened. My legs. Still, not a thing.
Oh no. Don't tell me the accident left me paralyzed?
Shit. If I'm paralyzed, do these people, whoever they are, even realize that I'm awake? Do they still think I'm in a coma? Crap, I have to let them know that I'm awake. But if I can't move...
I tried one last time to move, and I wasn't even being picky about which part moved. Hell, a pinky finger twitching would have set my mind at ease. But when nothing at all happened, I racked my brain for some other way to let them, the doctors I assumed, know that I was awake.
Suffice to say, it took a while for the obvious answer to claw it's way to the forefront of my panic-riddled mind. By the time it did, one of my legs felt like it had been lifted upwards, and someone or something was definitely slapping me on the sole of my foot. Which was bare for some reason...
"What are you hitting me for?!"
Is what I wanted to say. But that's not what came out.
"WAAAH! WAAAH! WAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The slapping stopped, but my brain went into overdrive.
WHAT THE HELL?! WHY IS THERE A CRYING BABY IN MY HOSPITAL ROOM?! GOD I HATE THAT SOUND! MAKE IT STOP, PLEASE SOMEONE!
But the noise had already stopped.
Huh? Don't babies usually cry for longer than that? Take longer to calm down, or something? Wait...
"Testing, testing. One, two, testing."
Is what I tried to say. But once again, that's not what came out.
"Waaah! Waaah!"
Oh, no way. I don't believe this...
The crying had started as soon as I started trying to speak. And it had stopped the same way. In perfect time with my mouth. After a second, I realized that it had been the exact same way the first time I heard the crying.
There's no way in hell.
The heartbeat. The vibrations. Floating in some kind of liquid. Tasting food even though I never ate a thing.
I'm still in the coma. I'm just dreaming. Yeah, that's definitely it...
Someone slapping my foot, and then stopping as soon as the crying started.
Yeah, definitely still in the coma. No way on Earth...
Everyone around me, doctors if my assumption was correct, speaking something other than English.
No possible way that I did actually die, only to be...
All in all, everything pointed to two possible conclusions. And one was far more likely than the other.
Yeah, I'm still alive, just in the coma. And I'm dreaming. Reincarnation isn't actually a thing. At least, not in my religion.
Of course, I never said which one I found to be more likely at that exact moment. The important thing? I had managed to convince myself once again that I wasn't dead, but rather just in a coma, and having a rather vivid dream. And in all honesty?
I think that's about the only thing that kept my sanity from leaving me right then. I was in a fragile state of mind, given my very fresh memories of my first near-death experience. So, I opted to believe the option that left me with a lot less to take in.
But that's about all I can say for the beginning of my 'dream'. The rest of my time in the hospital was pretty uneventful. Other than being carried, from what I could tell, to another part of the hospital, nothing much happened for a good little while, albeit a 'good little while' was mercifully shorter than my time in the Dark, as I had taken to calling that pitch-black place where I had spent so long contemplating my own memories.
It wasn't until the 'good little while' was over that things started getting interesting. Or at least as interesting as they can get for someone who's stuck in a coma and only dreaming. Or an infant.
But I think I've taken up enough of your precious time for one day, no?
So, now that I've begun the long, drawn-out process of introducing myself, why don't you all do the same, and then we can get down to business.
No, you certainly don't have to go into as much detail as I did. I doubt you could even if you tried.
Let's just say...
Tell me your names, hobbies, likes, and dislikes. That should be pretty easy, don't you think?
And maybe later, I'll tell you more about me.
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"I died as a mineral and became a plant, I died as a plant and rose to animal, I died as an animal and I was man. Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?" - Jalaluddin Rumi
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A/N: Now I feel like I should apologize for making the chapter so short. But hey, I felt like that was the perfect place to end it. That way, we can jump straight into the start of all the crazy stuff at the beginning of next chapter. Which I will be starting at some point tomorrow. Hope you all enjoy.